100 One-Shot Challenge
by Winekita
Summary: My hand at the 100 One-shot challenge. Will focus on the Seven, Nico, Will, Reyna, and their legacies. My prediction is that most one-shots will focus on the Valdez family, because that's my specialty. :)
1. Introduction

_**So, I decided I wanna try this One-Shot challenge. There are different variations, so here's the one I decided to do:**_

**1. Introduction**  
><strong>2. Poison<strong>  
><strong>3. Abandoned<strong>  
><strong>4. Crisis<strong>  
><strong>5. Dream<strong>  
><strong>6. Shooting Star(s)<strong>  
><strong>7. Mist<strong>  
><strong>8. Hopeless<strong>  
><strong>9. Obsession<strong>  
><strong>10. Dreamcatcher<strong>  
><strong>11. Rose(s)<strong>  
><strong>12. Clouds<strong>  
><strong>13. Revenge<strong>  
><strong>14. Insanity<strong>  
><strong>15. Disappear<strong>  
><strong>16. Shadow<strong>  
><strong>17. Darkness<strong>  
><strong>18. Illuminate<strong>  
><strong>19. Dusk<strong>  
><strong>20. Dawn<strong>  
><strong>21. Quest<strong>  
><strong>22. Thrilling<strong>  
><strong>23. Pillar<strong>  
><strong>24. Autumn<strong>  
><strong>25. Teddy Bear<strong>  
><strong>26. Snuff<strong>  
><strong>27. Prism<strong>  
><strong>28. Rescue<strong>  
><strong>29. Broken<strong>  
><strong>30. Wall(s)<strong>  
><strong>31. Beautiful<strong>  
><strong>32. Tonight<strong>  
><strong>33. Empty<strong>  
><strong>34. Festive<strong>  
><strong>35. Melody<strong>  
><strong>36. Purple<strong>  
><strong>37. Panic Switch<strong>  
><strong>38. Sanctuary<strong>  
><strong>39. Spell<strong>  
><strong>40. Rejection<strong>  
><strong>41. Sword<strong>  
><strong>42. Love<strong>  
><strong>43. Yellow<strong>  
><strong>44. Boogeyman<strong>  
><strong>45. Downstream<strong>  
><strong>46. Fire Ball<strong>  
><strong>47. Challenge<strong>  
><strong>48. Sneeze<strong>  
><strong>49. Illogical<strong>  
><strong>50. Intermission<strong>  
><strong>51. Overrated<strong>  
><strong>52. Contagious<strong>  
><strong>53. Magnificent<strong>  
><strong>54. Summer<strong>  
><strong>55. Button<strong>  
><strong>56. Fragments<strong>  
><strong>57. Merriment<strong>  
><strong>58. Rising<strong>  
><strong>59. Blue<strong>  
><strong>60. Hesitation<strong>  
><strong>61. Courage<strong>  
><strong>62. Unknown<strong>  
><strong>63. Potion<strong>  
><strong>64. Faerie<strong>  
><strong>65. Pumpkin<strong>  
><strong>66. Battle<strong>  
><strong>67. Bow<strong>  
><strong>68. Malice<strong>  
><strong>69. Castle<strong>  
><strong>70. Scythe<strong>  
><strong>71. Lost<strong>  
><strong>72. Ribbon<strong>  
><strong>73. Bars<strong>  
><strong>74. Death<strong>  
><strong>75. Memory<strong>  
><strong>76. Winter<strong>  
><strong>77. Sibling(s)<strong>  
><strong>78. Childhood<strong>  
><strong>79. Sacrifice<strong>  
><strong>80. White<strong>  
><strong>81. Graveyard<strong>  
><strong>82. Umbrella<strong>  
><strong>83. Infected<strong>  
><strong>84. Breathe<strong>  
><strong>85. Forever<strong>  
><strong>86. Apologize<strong>  
><strong>87. Heartache<strong>  
><strong>88. Invincible<strong>  
><strong>89. Illusion<strong>  
><strong>90. Prayer<strong>  
><strong>91. Spring<strong>  
><strong>92. Paranoid<strong>  
><strong>93. Jar Of Dirt<strong>  
><strong>94. Magic<strong>  
><strong>95. Needles<strong>  
><strong>96. Golden<strong>  
><strong>97. Dying<strong>  
><strong>98. Red<strong>  
><strong>99. Ablaze<strong>  
><strong>100. The End<strong>

_**I might mix around the numbers a bit, so bear with me on that :)**_

_**So instead of going for a holiday story, here's something y'all didn't expect: SOLANGELO CHILD!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>1: Introduction<strong>

_Meet Jonah Calavera_

Nico di Angelo walked into the Big House slowly. He had been specifically called there, though he had no idea why. He hadn't done anything wrong, nor had he been a camper since he turned nineteen—which was eleven years ago…

"Ah, Nico," Chiron said as he stepped inside. The old centaur was in his wheelchair form. "I'd like you to meet someone."

Nico looked to the left and into the rec room. Sitting on the couch was a young Latino boy with greasy black hair and sad brown eyes. He was painfully skinny and dressed in rags. His bare feet were swinging as he looked at the ground.

"Who's the kid?" Nico asked.

"That," Chiron said, "would be a very distant cousin of yours."

"Pardon?"

"His name is Jonah Calavera." The kid looked up at the mention of his name, then back down. "He is a distant legacy of Hades."

"Let me guess," Nico said, crossing his arms. "He's from the early nineteen hundreds and was displaced in time like me and Hazel."

Chiron chuckled. "No, no. His bloodline began in that time period—a little bit before the First World War, actually—but it had thinned so much that monsters could no longer be attracted to his family."

"So why is he here?"

"For some reason, his blood—thin as though it may be—was just enough for him to begin learning how to shadow travel, even though he's five."

Nico groaned. "Fantastic. So where's his family? Do they know he can do that?"

Chiron looked at the son of Hades with sad eyes. "He is an orphan; the last of the Calavera line. The poor child had been sitting in an orphanage in Mexico when one of our satyrs sniffed him out based on pure luck."

Jonah flinched when Seymour, the leopard head still attached to the wall even though Apollo now occupied the Big House, yawned and growled for food.

Nico shook his head. "And what's this have to do with me?"

"I need someone to look after him while he learns to control those Hades-given powers," Chiron answered.

"So put him in the Hades Cabin and let him figure this out as a camper."

"He won't be going in the Hades Cabin, for Hades did not claim him."

"Pardon?"

A new voice spoke up this time. "I have claimed him."

Nico whirled around and saw his step-mother Persephone—of _all_ people—floating within an Iris Message. Nico bowed his head. "Queen Persephone," he said in a monotonous voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

The Queen of the Underworld sneered. "Don't lie, Nico di Angelo. It's as much a pleasure to you as it is to me."

_At least she's honest about it…_

"You said you claimed Jonah?" Nico asked. "Why?"

"Why not?" Persephone said, raising an eyebrow. "Hera claimed Zeus's son, Jason, for her own. Jonah Calavera may be a great descendant of one of my husband's flings, but he has shown promise in other things. Since I cannot have any demigod children of my own blood (as that would make me a hypocrite) I will claim Jonah."

"Other things?"

Persephone smiled. "Little Jonah respects nature and his favorite season is spring. I like the little boy and I've already fought your father over this. He is _mine_ to claim."

Nico huffed in annoyance. "So you want Camp to build a temporary cabin for you?"

"Already done," Chiron said. "One of the minor god cabins is open since the only child of Anicetus just moved into New Athens, so the cabin is open for Jonah to move in. We'll rename it for Persephone and let Jonah decorate it however he wishes."

"And…how does Jonah being claimed by Persephone tie in with me taking him in?" Nico asked.

"He needs a little bit of family," Chiron said. "It's not summer yet, and we need to get the cabin ready for Jonah to come in when summer arrives. He should not be alone."

"He's Mexican, right?" Nico asked. "Which means he probably doesn't know English very well…why not put him in the Valdez house? They use Spanish all the time."

"The Valdez family is preparing for a new member already," Persephone said. "In just a few short months, there shall be yet another one of Hephaestus's legacies running around that house. Jonah is from an orphanage that housed many children. So many family members might frighten him."

Nico couldn't argue with that. Leo and his brood were a lively bunch and this kid didn't look very into _excitement_.

"Besides the Hades powers," Nico drawled. "Why me?"

"He needs comfort with something," Chiron said. "You share his powers, and you and Will Solace aren't very…shall we say, _rowdy_…"

Nico slightly blushed at that. It'd been sixteen years since he and Will had begun their relationship. He _still_ got a little hot under the collar when someone mentioned it, but that was just his twenties-past-mindset acting up.

He sighed. "Fine, I'll take him. But he's still gotta learn English."

Chiron nodded. "We'll make sure to have Mr. Valdez teach him. Or perhaps young Tulio could try if Leo is too distracting."

"Okay."

Nico stepped into the rec room and sat beside Jonah on the couch.

Jonah looked at Nico and shied away. The son of Hades forced back a groan. Of course this kid would be judging on looks right now, and Nico wasn't the happiest person to look at.

"Hey," he tried. "I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. I heard your name is Jonah?"

Jonah nodded.

"So you understand English?"

The boy nodded and put his fingers close together. _A little_.

"Okay, at least that's something…" Nico ran a hand through his black hair. "Chiron—that guy over there—said that I'll be taking you in until the summer. You'll be staying with me and my partner until your summer cabin is ready. Understand?"

Jonah slightly nodded with a confused expression.

_He probably only understood half of that…_ Nico sighed. "Alright, let's go, then."

Nico took the boy's hand. It was small and skinny, but warm.

They walked out of the Big House together. Nico couldn't help but smile a little. Jonah was kinda cute…

_Maybe this is a good thing,_ Nico thought. _I think Jonah would fit right in with Will and I._

Jonah looked up at Nico warily at first, then gave a small smile.

Nico smiled back, and for once, his smile didn't make someone nervous. It only made Jonah's grin get wider.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: HA! Look at that, I finally got around to making a Solangelo child!**_

_**Isn't Jonah the coootest?**_

_**Also, if you were wondering, Zac is a few months in the oven, so that's where this story is in the normal timeline :)**_


	2. Poison

_**Next up is a story about Zac, the newest of the Valdez clan that got introduced in **_**The Keys_._**

**_Also, unless I specifically state it, I AM NOT TAKING SUGGESTIONS. Around 90% of the list I posted I've already got ideas for. So please, don't beg me for some random thing to happen. You'll just have to see what happens in the one shots._**

**_PS: Who all thought Poison would be about Jason's Imperial Gold wound? Be honest. :P_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>2: Poison<strong>

_Anything that good for you must be poison!_

"Zac."

"No."

"Zac."

"Uh-uh!"

"Zac!"

"Nope nope!"

Calypso Valdez groaned and nearly threw the food. "Zachariah Hunter Valdez," she warned. "Eat it!"

The little curly-haired boy shook his head furiously. "No wanna!"

His mother threw her hands in the air. "I give up!"

Leo, sitting across the table from the ordeal, snickered. "What's the problem, _mi sol_?"

She glared at her husband. "Your little demon of a son is the problem."

"My son?" he asked incredulously. "Since when is he _my_ son? I thought he was _our_ son!"

"He's _your_ son when he acts just like you; annoying, misbehaving, selfish—"

Leo held his hands up in surrender. "Take it easy, sweetie. What's got you so riled up? It's not like Zac's our first kid!"

The other three Valdez children watched on curiously. Esperanza was secretly hoping they'd break out into a rare fight—when they did fight it'd be over something silly like this. Tulio was still eating, watching the event go down while simultaneously thinking of plans to redesign a few inventions. Aria, being the closest to Zac's other side, patted her little brother on the head.

Calypso huffed in annoyance. "He won't eat his vegetables!"

Leo burst out laughing. "That's all? _Mi sol_, what are you trying to feed him?"

"Broccoli."

Leo grimaced. "Oh, yuck! No wonder Zac won't eat it! That's disgusting!"

Espie also grimaced, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Tulio had _just_ placed a bit of broccoli in his mouth, so everyone knew where he stood on this argument. Aria kind of liked broccoli, too, but she stayed silent.

Calypso growled at him. "It is not! It's nutritious and good for you!"

"Bah," Leo spat. "Anything that nutritious _always_ tastes bad. Like leeks!"

Every Valdez child—Zac included—shuddered at the thought of leeks. Calypso wrinkled her nose in anger. "Vegetables aren't that bad, you dummy! I at least want our children to see it that way, since I can't get you to eat right unless it's a tofu burger!"

"I eat green beans, carrots, and corn!" Leo argued.

"Peas are good," Espie muttered.

"But broccoli is good for you, too," she argued back.

"Broccoli tastes awful! It's like poison!"

Zac gasped. "M-Mommy try to poison me?"

Calypso's eyes widened in alarm. "No, sweetheart. Broccoli isn't poison. Look, Tulio is—"

But the first Valdez son had frozen mid-bite. He took a napkin and spit out the rest of the broccoli.

"Tulio!"

Tulio looked away sheepishly. "Well, _Papi_ put the idea in my head…now I don't think I trust it tonight…"

"You are fourteen years old," Calypso said. "You've been eating broccoli since you were Zac's age. If it was poison it would've killed you by now, surely!"

Tulio paled slightly. Aria shifted uncomfortably.

Calypso stood up. "I give up with all of you," she exclaimed. She stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

All the kids looked at Leo expectantly. He picked at the green beans on his plate and pursed his lips. He looked at Zac.

"Sorry, _mijo_," he said. "Broccoli isn't poison. It's just an expression."

He looked to the stairs and gave a half grin. "She'll come back down in a few minutes. Don't worry."

"And if she doesn't?" Aria asked. "Mom seemed pretty upset…"

Leo shrugged. "I've done way worse things than argue with her about veggies."

Espie snickered, remembering a few very rare instances where Leo had definitely made Calypso truly angry and had ended up in the hospital. It may have sounded like she abused him domestically, but really, he had deserved every punch. They always made up in the end, though.

Aria smiled. She knew her parents loved each other too much to leave the relationship over a few vegetables.

Tulio looked down at the half-chewed vegetables in his napkin. "Guess we won't be having broccoli for a while…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: If you didn't guess, I hate broccoli. Kudos to those of you who love it, because it tastes terrible to me...Blegh...**_


	3. Abandoned

_**Sorry that last chapter was a little hard on the Caleo relationship. And I am sorry if the 'domestic violence' offended anyone. I meant that whole 'in the hospital' part as more of a 'they're demigods and she's a former Titan with Titan strength. She went overboard even though Leo was being more of an idiot than usual' type of thing...Again, sorry.**_

_**Anyway, this chapter... D:**_

_**This hurt to write. But it had to be written.**_

_**I am so sorry about making you feel what you're about to feel.**_

_**:( **_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>3: Abandoned<strong>

_The Beginning_

Leo sat in an uncomfortable chair in the dimly lit hallway of the Houston police station. It was three days after…the incident. Leo hadn't spoken since the funeral yesterday. His tears had dried up long ago.

He wished his _abuelo_ or even his _abuela_ was here with him. But no, all he had was his Aunt Rosa.

And she didn't want him. She had made that clear the moment she laid eyes on him this morning.

Which was why he was here now. Aunt Rosa was currently talking to the social workers in the chief's office. Leo was not allowed in.

He brought his knees to his chest and breathed deeply. Some officers gave him pitying looks. Some didn't. Leo ignored all of them.

The door opened. Leo lifted his head.

Rosa exited quickly. She didn't even look at her nephew.

Leo made to follow her, but one officer came up and gripped his shoulder. He looked at the boy sadly.

"The social workers need to see you," he said.

Leo glanced back at the retreating form of his aunt. He opened his mouth to call out for her, but stopped himself. She wouldn't come back. Ever.

Leo slowly walked into the office. There was an uptight lady in a pink pencil skirt standing in the middle of the room. She had mile-high heels and the world's tightest bun. In her hands was a clipboard and a yellow folder.

"Good day, Leo," she said in what was clearly fake concern. Leo had a sneaky suspicion she'd done this sort of thing way too many times. "My name is Miss Hill. I've got a few questions for you, then we'll be leaving."

"Where are we going?" Leo's voice was hoarse from lack of use.

"In a moment." She gestured to a chair. "Why don't you sit down?"

Leo sat.

Miss Hill asked him a bunch of random questions: his hobbies, his personality, how he behaved in certain normal situations.

After a good hour, she closed her folder and gestured to the wall behind Leo. "Can you stand here, please? We just need a photo."

"For what?" Leo asked as he stood and went over to the aforementioned wall.

"Your file," she said, pulling out a camera. "Smile, please."

Leo didn't smile. He loved pictures, always loving to put on the craziest grin. But he couldn't find the will to do it now.

Miss Hill took the picture anyway. It was a self-developing camera, so the picture immediately got spit out. She shook it a few times, examined it, and placed it in the file folder, keeping it there with a paperclip.

"Okay," she said. "Let's get to the car. We need to go."

"Where?" he asked again.

"To your designated foster home," she said with little emotion. "You'll be staying in foster care until a family adopts you."

Leo scrunched his eyebrows. "Huh? But…what about _my_ family? My grandma and grandpa…my aunt? My great uncles?"

This time the look Miss Hill gave him was genuinely sad. "I'm sorry, Leo…your aunt had custody of you, as the next of kin. She legally gave you up to the state. There's nothing you can do."

Gave him up to the state.

_Meaning she abandoned me_, Leo thought. He clenched and unclenched his fists. His eyes stung. Tears were about to fall. He wished he could curl up in a corner and die right then and there.

Miss Hill cleared her throat. "You'll be staying with the Sanchez family. They've got room for one more kid like you. They're a good home. And you're a good kid; you'll be adopted before you know it."

Leo didn't want to listen to this. He didn't want a new family. He knew they would just get tired of him, or find out about his fire power, and eventually _abandon_ him just like his supposed _real_ family.

Miss Hill gestured to the door. "Shall we go, Leo?"

The boy sighed and nodded mutely. He took up his bag of things—the only things from his time with his mom he had left in the whole world—and exited the police station.

Leo got into the social worker's car and looked outside sadly. He could see Aunt Rosa waiting at the bus stop. She had a proud look on her face, like she had just won the Olympics or something. She knew what she had done, and she was proud of it.

Leo scowled and looked away. He'd never forgive that woman for abandoning him like this.

Never.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm gonna go crawl in a corner and die now...**_

_**I promise, next chapter will be more upbeat and funny, to balance out what just happened here...**_

_***cries***_


	4. Crisis

**_Here's some humor to balance out that heart wrencher of a last chapter._**

**_This takes place between Kym's attack and the Apollo/Artemis visit in BoO._**

**_There's no specific POV, so it's gonna be random._**

**_And shirtless Leo is shirtless. You're welcome._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>4: Crisis<strong>

_No Laughing Matter_

"Everyone into the mess hall! Emergency! Emergency!"

Annabeth, Jason, Frank, Piper, and Hazel sleepily filed into the mess hall of the _Argo II_. Percy was standing inside, frantically opening the cupboards and refrigerator. He turned, saw the five teens, and frowned.

"Where's Leo?" he asked.

Jason yawned. "In the engine room, I think."

"Get him. This concerns him, too. This is a huge emergency that _everyone_ needs to know about!"

Frank grumbled and left for the engine room. It took a lot of bumping into walls, seeing as how it was early morning and everyone had been so kindly woken up by Percy, but eventually he stumbled into the steamy engine room.

Leo was curled up on top of a sleeping bag, a hammer still in his hand. He was only wearing bright blue boxers. His tool belt was lying nearby.

Frank didn't really need to see this. Leo was scrawny enough with his clothes on. Almost naked…he looked just embarrassing. Frank felt sorry for him.

He kicked Leo's leg, trying to look anywhere but down. "Get up, Valdez," he grunted.

Leo swung his hammer in alarm, gasping, "Wha? Who's attacking? What I need smash?" he slurred.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Percy's called an emergency meeting. Put some pants on and get to the mess hall."

He left before Leo could protest.

Five minutes later, Leo had arrived. He was half asleep, his hair still tangled (more so than usual), only wearing brown pants with suspenders donned over his bare torso. He wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Why," he yawned, "are we up at this ungodsly hour? Even Gaea wouldn't be up at five in the morning!"

"I'm with Leo," Hazel said, trying to avoid looking at Leo's scrawny body, a blush rising in her cheeks.

Percy opened the fridge and gestured inside. "What is _wrong_ with this picture?"

Annabeth rubbed her eyes. "Its light is out?" she observed.

"Dude, I'll fix that in the later morning," Leo whined.

"No," Percy yelled. "What's _not_ in this fridge?"

"Fruit?" Frank guessed.

"Milk?" offered Jason.

"Evil spirits that steal your left shoe?" Leo grumbled.

"ICE CREAM!" Percy howled. "There's no ice cream in the fridge!"

Everyone blinked at the son of Poseidon. Annabeth rubbed her temples. "So…let me get this straight. You woke us all up before Apollo's chariot even appeared in the sky…to tell us that there's no ice cream in the fridge?"

"Yes."

"I'm confused," Jason said. "We've eaten ice cream before, haven't we?"

"We had a few tubs in there," Leo explained. "I think Pipes ate the last of them when she and Hazel had a girlfriend session four nights ago. They both ate the tub of minty choco-supreme and watched sad chick-flicks. I could hear the tears falling from the control room!"

Piper smacked him. "Shut up." Then, she turned to Percy. "You do realize we have self-filling bowls and plates, right? You could just grab one of those and—"

"It's not the same!" Percy slammed the fridge door shut. "There's a difference in taste!"

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth huffed. "The food in the self-filling plates taste exactly the same as the food you would eat anywhere else."

Leo coughed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. He had ordered cider and stew _plenty_ of times since leaving Ogygia, but it did not taste the same as when Calypso made it. He didn't say that out loud, though.

Percy flailed about. "We _need_ to get more ice cream!"

Leo ran a hand through his hair. "Dude, the ship's moving as fast as she can…more like she's _limping_ as fast as she can, mind you. When we dock, you can go get ice cream."

Piper winced. Leo sounded pretty agitated. "Why don't you go back to sleep?" she offered.

Leo threw his hands in the air. "No need! I'm up _now_. I'll go make sure the engine hasn't coughed up a hairball yet. She's been wheezing like crazy…"

He left, grumbling about wanting ice cream now. Hazel and Frank left as well, yawning.

Jason nodded to Percy. "I get where you're coming from, man, but you could have had a craving _after_ we made port."

He and Piper walked out.

Annabeth came up and softly smacked the back of Percy's head. "We're about to make port in Mykonos. We'll get Gelato there while we scout out for monsters. Okay?"

Percy groaned, but agreed. "Fine. But I still want ice cream…"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Sucks for you, Seaweed Brain, if you don't want to eat out of the self-filling bowls. Now, can you let everyone sleep?"

"Nope." Percy grinned. "Not when there's a crisis at hand."

"That's not a crisis," Annabeth said, leaving the mess hall.

Percy yelled after her, "Ice cream shortages are no laughing matter!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Because this is totally the reason Percy and Annabeth brought back Gelato before Leo, Hazel, and Frank went to see Apollo and Artemis._**

**_Fact._**


	5. Dream

**_Hey, here's a feels-sorta chapter._**

**_It's not meant to be sad, but I actually have no idea what to think of it now that I wrote it._**

**_This is meant for the _Papi_ Version Two universe, where BoO's ending happens and Leo and Calypso go off on their little European adventure. And never contact anyone back home :)_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>5: Dream<strong>

_Remember or Not, You'll Feel Better in the Morning_

Piper tossed and turned. She wanted to fall asleep, but…also _didn't_ want to fall asleep. Sleeping meant dreams and dreams meant—anything could happen.

The past few weeks after Gaea's defeat had been hard on everyone, especially the Seven. Chiron had allowed Piper and Annabeth to sleep in their respective boyfriend's cabins so the boys wouldn't be alone. It was hard to sleep alone so soon after combat, especially combat with a primordial goddess.

Piper sometimes had to comfort Jason in his sleep, charmspeaking him out of bad dreams. Sometimes he had to comfort her. She'd had some pretty nasty flashback dreams concerning Cyclopes, metal chickens, and a giant snake.

Then there were ones about Leo. She had dreamed of him exploding over and over, screaming in pain, his body coated in flames.

"Piper," Jason called from his bed. "Can't sleep?"

"No…" she said sadly.

"Scared to go to sleep again?"

"Yeah."

"Ma Gasket?"

"No."

"Gaea?"

"No."

"…Leo?"

Piper felt a tear streak down her face. She nodded mutely.

Jason came over into her bunk. He pulled her into a sitting position, hugged her gently from behind, and kissed her hair.

"Thanks," Piper mumbled.

"You can do this," he said. "It's okay. Everything's over now."

_Including him_, Piper thought. _Leo's life is over, too…_

Jason rocked her back and forth. The motion comforted her. "Sleep, Pipes…"

As if her boyfriend had charmspeak, Piper suddenly felt like sleeping was a good idea. She closed her eyes. Eventually she fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Piper found herself back in Greece. Not Athens, but some area she'd never been. A beautiful view overlooked a lovely beach. Tourists were flocking around, taking pictures, sunbathing, swimming…doing normal things.<em>

_Piper spotted a beautiful girl in a white bikini sprawled out on a red towel. She looked a little flushed, like she was either burned or blushing._

_"Are you sure this is okay to wear?" the girl asked._

_"The other girls are in way skimpier bathing suits, Sunshine," came a boy's voice. "You look awesome."_

_Piper turned and saw a scrawny Latino boy in red swim trunks and flip flops. He was carrying two chocolate ice cream cones and smirking as if he were about to pull a prank. His curly black hair was waving around in the gentle sea breeze. Scars littered his skin, like he lost a fight with a blender in a few places._

_Piper wanted to cry. She'd know that imp anywhere. _Leo…_she thought. _Is that really you?

_She reached out to grab him, but her arm was wispy and ghost-like. She realized with a jolt that this was just a dream. It wasn't Leo—at least not anymore._ It's probably the past,_ she thought. _Leo said he was marooned with Calypso…maybe this is what he meant?

_Leo handed the girl a cone. She took it and said, "I just feel a little exposed, that's all."_

_Leo shrugged and sat down next to her. "It can take some getting used to. But you're fine. No one's gonna make fun of you or think any different. You're rockin' that bikini, Calypso!"_

_Calypso sighed and licked her ice cream. "If you say so."_

_Piper felt a tear trickle down her cheek. This was worse than watching Leo die over and over. She didn't want to see Leo like this. She didn't want to see his past!_

"It's not his past, dear."

_Piper whirled around and saw her mother tanning herself a few feet away. She had the skimpiest bikini on, revealing far more than Piper would have liked to see._

_"What?" Piper asked._

"This vision isn't about Leo's past, sweetie,"_ Aphrodite said. _"It's his present. What you're seeing is the day he's having right now in Greece."

_Piper's brain was frying under the sun. "That can't be right. Leo's…he's…he's _dead_!"_

_Aphrodite glanced over at the couple, who were laughing and smushing their ice creams in each other's faces. She smiled happily and waved her hand. A pink mist enveloped the couple. Their eyes glazed over a bit and they kissed passionately. The goddess giggled. _"That's better,"_ she said. _"Those two are so cute! They're my new OTP, for sure!"

_"Leo's _dead_," Piper screamed._

"Obviously not."

_"How?"_

_Aphrodite smiled at her daughter. _"How do you think, dear? You _did_ spend half your trip in Greece looking for the ingredients."

_Piper's jaw dropped. "He had the cure with him? How did—" Then she remembered. Festus. "Ah…"_

_She looked back at Leo and Calypso, who were still going at it. Did those two breathe? The pink mist was still surrounding them. Every time they stopped for air, the mist thickened and a lust lit up in their eyes._

"Whoops," _Aphrodite muttered. _"Little too heavy for a first date. Got to get this just right. They can't be doing anything like that until Leo's _at least_ 19."

_She waved her hand and the mist thinned out. Leo and Calypso stopped, breathing heavily. They smiled at each other._

_"Wow," Leo breathed. "Awesome."_

_Calypso smiled sheepishly. "I don't know where that came from," she admitted._

_Leo's nose scrunched up as he grinned. "I honestly don't care," he said. "That was so cool."_

_They kissed again—just a short peck. Leo sighed. "Please don't let this be a dream," he whispered._

_Calypso embraced him. "If it is, then it had better come true when I wake up."_

_Piper frowned at her mother. Aphrodite squealed in delight. _"What?"_ she questioned when Piper shook her head. _"I didn't do that! They're made for each other! That's why they say those things! They're adorable!"

_"I'm done," Piper snarled. "Mother, this isn't nice! Seeing Leo like this…Is he really alive?"_

"Of course, sweetie," _the goddess said. _"That's why I'm showing you. I don't want you to be suffering. I know you care for Leo, so I got permission to show you this little bit."

_Piper cried. Leo was alive…he was alive and well and…_

_…hadn't contacted them!?_

_"Why hasn't Leo gotten in touch?" Piper nearly screamed. "He is so dead when I get my hands on him!"_

"No, no. That poor young boy isn't doing too well at the moment. I've been tasked with keeping an eye on him."

_"Looks fine to me."_

"You know as well as I not all is as it appears with Leo Valdez—especially when it involves his emotions."

_Piper nodded. "Is he okay?"_

"Physically? Yes. Emotionally? Not really. I'm helping this relationship blossom so it will distract him from the pain of the war. Love is a great medicine."

_"I suppose. But when will he contact?"_

"When he is stable, which will take a while, according to Apollo—who, by the way, _suggested_ this treatment! I suggested the European holiday."

_"Excuse me?"_

"Never mind. The point is, he's recovering, so leave him alone."

_Piper felt her consciousness begin to slip. She knew she was about to wake up. "I'll probably hate myself for saying this, but…thanks Mom."_

_Aphrodite smiled. _"Anytime, dear. Just call me when you're feeling down again. Next time, I'll fix your outfits again."

* * *

><p>Piper woke up feeling awful. She wanted to punch her mother for some reason. On the brighter side, she didn't feel so terrible about sleeping.<p>

Jason stirred behind her. They both sat up, Jason rubbing his eyes. "Have a good night's sleep?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah."

"Did you have a good dream?"

Piper racked her brain. _That's weird_, she thought. _I don't remember what happened…But it was something good about Leo? That's a change…usually it's bad. Why was it good, again?_

She shook her head, as if to shake the dream back to her brain.

"Piper?"

Jason was looking at her with concerned blue eyes. "Good dream or bad?"

Piper smiled. "For once, it was good. It was about Leo."

"Really? That was good?"

"Yeah," she said, feeling refreshed and relieved about Leo's death, even though she still couldn't remember the dream. "Yeah, I think it was…"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: She won't remember exactly what happened, but she's getting over the tragedy that was Leo's death. Sweet, yes? Weird feelings, all around! :D_**


	6. Shooting Stars

_**A little kid Leo story for you. :3**_

_**Teensy short, so sue me.**_

_**Anyone notice how Leo is at least mentioned in every chapter so far? I'm gonna see how many I can include him in, whether directly or indirectly :D Wish me luck!**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>6. Shooting Stars<strong>

_Once Super, and Future Hero_

"Mama, look! A shooting star!"

Esperanza Valdez looked up. Sure enough, a falling star was streaking across the sky. It fell under the waning Halloween moon, disappearing over the horizon.

Her son, Leo, hopped up and down, his cape fluttering. He was dressed as Batman. He had a little baterang and a bat-trike to roll around in. Because he was _Batman_.

"You gonna make a wish, _mijo_?" she asked her son.

The four-year-old cocked his head. "Make a wish?"

Esperanza nodded. "Yes. When you see a shooting star, you gotta make a wish. Scrunch up your face, close your eyes, and think of that wish with all your heart.

His eyes sparkled. "Will it come true?"

"Maybe."

Leo closed his eyes. His nose scrunched up and he stuck his tongue out in the cutest way. He hummed to himself for a few seconds, then opened his eyes.

"'Kay," he announced. "I made a wish!"

"What was it?"

"I'm not a'sposed to tell you, Mama," he complained. "It's like my birthday wish, right? If I tell it won't come true!"

Esperanza chuckled. "Of course, but for shooting stars you can always tell the person you love most. The star won't mind."

Leo smiled. "I love you most!"

"Then what'd you wish for?"

Leo grinned cheekily and stuck out his tongue. "Not telling!"

He hopped on his Bat-trike and began wheeling away. Esperanza rolled her eyes and strolled after him. "Leo, _mijo_, don't run off like that. Halloween is a busy night. There are a lot of kids running around!"

Leo ignored her and kept rolling. He was singing the Batman theme song (pretty badly, but hey, he was four) as he sped away.

A group of teenagers suddenly cut in front of Esperanza. "Excuse me," she said. "Please let me through. My son is over there."

After a few minutes, the teens were gone.

But so was Leo.

"Leo?" she called. She looked around at the houses. There were trick-or-treaters at the doors, but none of them were a four-year-old Latino Batman. "Leo! _Mijo_, where are you?"

"Meow."

"Pearl, come down!"

Esperanza looked up. A white tabby cat was perched precariously on the branch of a tree above her. It was dressed as a princess, with a cone hat and everything. It did not look very happy about it, either. Its tail was fluffed up.

A little girl in a similar princess costume was wailing at the base of the tree, urging the cat to come down.

"I got 'er!"

Esperanza gasped as a tiny Mexican Batman appeared out of nowhere on a lower branch. He threw his baterang to the next branch and began using the attached rope (where had he gotten the rope?!) to climb up higher.

"Leo!" Esperanza screamed. "What are you doing?"

"Saving the princess!" he yelled in triumph.

"Why!?"

Leo looked down, his big brown eyes shining behind his cowl and mask. "I'm Batman!"

Esperanza facepalmed. _No,_ she thought. _No, no, no, no!_

Leo had reached Princess Pearl's branch. The cat hissed in alarm as Latino Batman began crawling towards it. Esperanza yelled, "Leo, stop! You're going to fall!"

The boy ignored her cries as he went further. The branch began to bend. Even though Leo was four, he was still too heavy for the small branch that was barely able to hold the cat!

Esperanza's heart froze when a crackling sound split the air. The branch snapped in half and the cat and Leo fell. The girl screamed. Esperanza screamed, too, holding out her hands to catch her son.

Leo landed in her arms, safe and sound. Two seconds later, the cat landed in his lap. It meowed questioningly, like, _are you crazy, kid?_

Leo giggled and pet the cat. "Good kitty," he said. "I saved you!"

The little girl ran up. "You saved Pearl!"

Leo grinned. "Yup! 'Cause I'm Batman!"

The cat jumped down and rubbed up against the girl. She smiled and picked up her cat. "Thank you, Batman," she said before running off.

Leo looked up at Esperanza. Before he could say anything, she set him down and pulled on his ear. He cried out in alarm.

"Don't _ever_ do anything like that," she scolded. "If I wasn't here you could have broken your neck! What were you thinking?"

Leo looked a little crestfallen. "That I was Batman?" he tried.

Esperanza resisted the urge to smack his behind. "_Mijo_, it's a costume. You aren't really..."

His eyes watered. "But...that was my wish!"

"Your wish?"

"Uh-huh," he whined. "I wished on the star! I wished I could be Batman once!"

The single mother blinked at her son. Then, she softened her gaze and patted his head. "Your wish was to be a superhero?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll let you off this _one_ time. Only because you were Batman when you rescued that cat."

"Yay!" he screamed.

"But no more," she warned. "You only got to be Batman once, understand?"

"Okay," Leo said, nodding.

"Promise you won't act like Batman again?"

"Promise."

She smiled. "Then let's go see if we missed any houses."

He took her hand and they walked down the street to continue their trick-or-treating. Esperanza looked up at the sky and saw another shooting star. She closed her eyes for a moment and made a wish.

_Please_, she wished. _I wish...I wish that if my son was going to do stupid things...let him have a better reason than wanting to be a superhero._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Like (BOO SPOILER) sacrificing himself to defeat Gaea and rescue Calypso? That's a better reason than thinking he's Batman, right? 0:)_**


	7. Mist

_**So, I'm going to post this in the 100 One Shot Challenge **_**and_ Adventures in Parenting because both stories are one shot feature stories and this one shot fits both of them. Chapter Seven for both :3_**

**_For Parenting, I'll update that again shortly with either a Bobby or Espie chapter, depending on if I want Leo or Percy to be showcased as the silly parent. Trust me, it's really hard to choose which one should do it xD_**

**_For the 100 OSC, this totally counts, cause this is a one shot and fits within the Mist category._**

**_I might do this sharing thing again, since both stories feature one shots._**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong><em>7: Mist<em>**

_Such a Stinker!_

**_*~Feat. Augustus Zhang~*_**

Hazel sighed and pinched her eyebrows together. "Augustus Lee Zhang," she said in an authoritative tone, "What in the world…?"

Her three-year-old grinned at her cheekily. "What?" he asked innocently.

Frank crossed his arms across his chest. "Take a look at yourself, son."

Gus turned around in a tight circle. He was 100% _completely_ covered in dirt, grass, and what Hazel hoped was mud. Most of that dirt and mud had been tracked inside when Gus had walked proudly into the living room, where Hazel and Frank _had_ been sitting. He grinned, his teeth dirty as well. "Mud!"

"Oh, yes," Hazel said. "I can see that. How did that happen?"

Gus spread his hands and smiled. "Sammy and me had a mud fight!"

"Oh really," Hazel sighed. She turned in the direction of the front door, which was in the other room. "Sammy," she called. "Get in this house!"

"Um," came a squeaky voice. "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

Frank rolled his eyes and left. Hazel heard him trump through the hall, then moments later a yell split through the air. "Oh, good gods! What in Pluto's name is _wrong_ with you?"

Within a minute, Frank came back in with his arm outstretched. In his hand he held Sammy Leo by the collar of his shirt. Sammy was _somehow_ even dirtier than Gus! His black curls were completely brown now. The only bit of him that wasn't brown were his golden eyes, which wouldn't meet Hazel's own.

Frank gently shook him like he was a kitten. "Explain yourself," he growled.

"Uh," Sammy whined. "We had a mud fight."

"Obviously," Frank said, shaking him a little more. It was gentle, but because Sammy hadn't grown too big, even as a ten-year-old, it looked like Frank was shaking an oversized doll. "But we wanna know why."

"In my defense," Sammy said, "Mr. Valdez started it."

"Yay!" Gus cheered. "Mister Valdess said we should fight! We played _Mud Ball_! We played with Essie, Tui, an' Aria, too!"

Hazel shook her head. "I really wish Leo would grow up."

"That'll be the day Tartarus stops spawning monsters," Frank chuckled.

"So," Hazel began. "Sammy, when you're done with your bath, you'll be cleaning up this muddy mess Gus started."

"But why," he whined.

"You are a member of the Legion," she said. "You've been a good role model for your brother for three straight years. What _possessed_ you to think the Valdezes had a good idea?"

"Espie has good ideas," Sammy Leo mumbled.

Frank carried him to the upstairs bathroom before he could protest further.

Hazel turned to Gus. "And _you_…you are one dirty boy. Time for a bath."

Gus's eyes widened. "Don't wanna bath!"

Hazel grabbed him and dragged him to the bathroom. "You're gonna get a bath, you stinky baby! Come on—"

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Sammy Leo was squeaky clean and beginning to scrub the floors. He had gotten a bath easily enough.<p>

Gus, however…

The little devil was running around naked through the house.

He had been dragged to the bathroom peacefully, but as soon as Hazel had filled the tub, he had shot off in protest. Even though he was dirty, the child was slipperier than a fish! Frank had once or twice grabbed him, but Gus had wiggled out of his father's grasp within seconds.

The mud was absolutely _everywhere_! Sammy instantly complained when Gus shot through the hall. Now the muddy child had dirtied up the whole first floor, and was well hidden somewhere. He would not come out until the water had gone away.

Frank walked up to Hazel and whispered, "Got a plan for this sneaky Roman?"

Hazel nodded. "He wants the water gone? Let me make it disappear."

She went to the bathroom and waved her hand. Instantly, the water disappeared. It hadn't gone anywhere, but she had made it seem like the tub was empty now by bending the Mist around it. She smiled at Frank, who had followed. "Alakazam," she said playfully.

Frank grinned. "Okay, Gus," he called out. "You win! The tub's empty now; you can come out!"

A dirty, muddy face peeked out from behind a plant in the hall. Hazel wanted to smack herself; Gus was so dirty he blended in with the flora! "No water?" he asked tentatively.

"See for yourself." Hazel gestured to the bathroom, making sure to keep bending the Mist.

The three-year-old shyly got out from behind the plant and shuffled slowly down the hall. He eyed his parents warily, careful to avoid their hands. Hazel silently communicated with Frank to not prematurely grab him; he might run again.

Gus went into the bathroom and sidled over to the tub. He peered over the edge, not tall enough to just look down yet. As he stood there on his tip-toes, Hazel crouched down. She put her hand on his legs and pulled upward. Gus screeched in alarm and fell into the tub headfirst.

The Mist instantly dissipated. The clean water turned brown in a single spot-the spot where Gus had fallen in.

Frank closed the door and cried out, "Victory!"

Gus popped his head out of the water and pouted. "No fair! Mama used magic!"

"You wanted the water gone," Hazel explained. "I made it disappear."

As Hazel began scrubbing the dirty child, Gus mumbled murderously. Frank stuck his head out of the bathroom.

"Sammy," he called. "Make sure to get the rest of the mud in the house, too!"

"I didn't make that mess!" came Sammy's squeaky protest.

"No, but you allowed it to happen by letting Leo bring you into that idiotic game," Hazel shot back. "And you can bet I'm going to go over to the Valdezes later and kick Leo's butt for suggesting to do that in the first place!

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: La-de-da :D Dirty Gus and Dirty Sammy._**

**_Sammy has been in the legion since he was eight, and he's a very mature ten-year-old. But even he can succumb to the contagious dumb that is Leo._**


	8. Hopeless

_**Okay, I've always wanted to know what Leo was thinking right after Ogygia in HoH. Now, a great author called shadoefax did this, too, which inspired me to write my own version. So, you can thank the One-Shot story by said author, ****Oaths Sworn on the River Styx. You can find it in my Favorite Stories section on my pro, published on Oct 14, 2013. It's beautiful, and I hope mine turns out as good :)**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>9: Hopeless<strong>

_"You Look Better With a Smile."_

It actually took a while for Leo to fall asleep. Sure, it was still dark when he'd left Ogygia, and that alone was sometimes able to make Leo sleepy. But now…

After that kiss and swearing to come back…Leo couldn't do anything but look at the sky. The stars in the Milky Way were bright and clear, and the ocean was silvery-blue because of their light. He kept tracing the stars with his finger, mapping out a fake constellation that looked just like Calypso.

He was hopeless.

Leo finally succumbed to sleep after a few hours of sitting in the gentle waves. He dreamed of Calypso. Of her cider and stew. Of how great they worked together and how easy it felt to talk with her. Of her kiss. He dreamed he'd never left; that him leaving was the dream and that he still had all the time in the world with her.

He was hopeless.

The rising sun was what pulled Leo out of his sleep. It was in his eyes and he scrunched up his face in annoyance when it interrupted his dreams of Ogygia.

"Go away, sun," he grumbled, curling into himself tightly.

The waves were still gentle as Leo's raft drifted across the sea. He supposed Poseidon was being kind for once since Leo was in such a state.

Leo's navigation device was working like a charm. A tiny motor propelled his raft slowly, and the sail caught a decent wind.

Even though he had food enough to last him a week, Leo didn't eat. He wasn't hungry. He didn't want to move, either. All of his usual hyperactive energy was completely gone. The moment Calypso kissed him was the moment he couldn't function.

Because he was hopeless.

The day went by, and before Leo knew it, night showed up. The stars came back and he found himself tracing Calypso's face in them again. The sea was still gentle as he propelled along. Leo rolled a couple oranges into the water and prayed Poseidon would keep up the good mood.

Eventually Leo found sleep again, and, surprise, surprise, he began to dream of Calypso. Even in his dream, he hoped he could just wake up back on that beach, under the lean-to, and smile at the Titaness as she brought him breakfast. He wanted to stay in that state so much.

Because he was hopeless.

Something prodded his cheek. Leo opened his eyes.

He was drifting against a dock, bumping against a wooden pillar. On the dock was a fisherman, poking at Leo with a pole and speaking in rapid Greek. Leo lifted his head and rubbed his eyes.

"_Que?_" he asked, not realizing he was speaking Spanish. "_No entiendo. Por favor, hable Inglés ..._"

The man kept poking him and speaking in Greek. Leo sat up and stretched, finally registering where he was. He pulled a rope from the sail and tied his raft against the dock. When he hopped off the raft and onto the solid wood, he wobbled.

_Geeze,_ he thought. _Land legs, much?_

The fisherman helped steady him, saying things he didn't understand.

"_Por favor—_" Leo smacked himself and switched to English. "Sorry…Do you speak English?"

The man nodded. "You are alright?"

Leo nodded and patted his pockets. "Uh…how much to dock here?"

The man looked at the makeshift raft and shrugged. "Too small. Free for one time."

Leo smiled. "Thanks."

He walked off the dock. It was early morning, so not many people were out and about.

Of course his mind wandered back to Ogygia again, but he tried to focus on what he was doing. He needed a high vantage point—somewhere he could see the _Argo II_ if it came by.

He knew he should be worried for his ship and his friends, like he had been right after he'd fallen out of the sky…but he couldn't find the energy. He felt out of sync with the world, still reeling and confused.

Because he was so hopeless.

Finally, Leo found a small outdoor café on top of a hill overseeing the harbor. It would be the perfect look-out spot, and there was a little hotel nearby in case this was an overnight stay. Though, he didn't have enough money for more than a decent meal…good thing he wasn't above sleeping in an alley—just for emergency, of course.

He picked a table and looked at the menu. Everything looked weird to him. He wasn't particularly great in Greek—ironic, considering his occupation—but that was probably because he already switched between two other languages regularly, plus Morse Code! There wasn't enough room for Greek in his head!

A waiter came over and asked him something in Greek and Leo resisted a groan. He tried to decipher the written Greek, since his brain might click faster in that instance. He saw something that looked suspiciously like coffee.

He tried not to grimace. Coffee was not something he liked for various reasons. It didn't smell good (like he did on a normal basis?), it tasted terrible, and it made him more hyper than usual—

"I'll take a coffee?" he said, hoping the guy understood.

The waiter noticed the English and asked, "How would you like it?"

"Black."

The waiter wrote that down. "Anything else?"

"Just the coffee, please."

"Of course."

He left Leo alone for a few minutes. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair once. He needed a spark to get his fire going again. He was still out of sync, still reeling, still confused, and still feeling sad. All of those years building up the perfect walls to hide his pain, ripped away with a single good-bye kiss that '_didn't happen_'. He'd used his hyperactivity to mask his hurt. Now…he couldn't find the energy to keep everything up.

Because he was so hopeless.

Moments later, Leo had a coffee in his hand, sipping on it quietly. Obviously it didn't do anything right away. He figured it worked like sugar; give it a few minutes to really kick in.

It never did.

Leo just kept drinking it, getting refills, and drinking again. None of his old energy came back. It was because his mind wandered to Calypso on Ogygia. He wanted so much to rescue her. He wouldn't stop until he knew she was safely off that stupid, terrible, beautiful island. He touched his lips gently, wishing that he could kiss Calypso again.

Because he was oh, so hopeless.

A couple hours and about five cups of coffee later, the _Argo II_ came into view and docked near Leo's makeshift raft. Soon, his friends would find him. And he was still melancholic. He'd pretty much resigned himself to not getting his groove back today. Maybe once he got back on the ship the coffee would kick in. Maybe…

He sighed and looked at his reflection in the murky brown liquid. His eyes were drifting and sad. Within seconds his reflection changed. Calypso was staring back at him, scrunching up her nose in annoyance. He could just hear her scolding him; _"Stop being so sad, you idiot! You're not funny, but you look better with a smile!"_

Leo smirked a little at the thought. She _would_ say something like that.

Then he frowned, because he wanted her to say that in real life. He drank away her image and looked at the clouds, also seeing her there. He wanted so much to return to her, it hurt his heart. He felt a tear run down his face, missing Ogygia and its single inhabitant.

Because he was oh, so hopeless.

"Leo!"

Leo heard Jason's voice and scrubbed away the tear. Just in time, for just as he set his arm down, Jason and Piper came running up the hill, smiles on their faces.

Leo tried to grin. He really did. But, his heart wasn't in it. Even when everyone was surrounding him, all he could manage was a tiny smile for Piper and Hazel. The tiny amount of energy he got from hearing of Festus's permanent activation didn't last too long, but it was enough to make him put up the barriers again.

Then they started probing him about where he'd gone, and he got nervous. When he tried to convince them he was back, he knew no one believed him. But he had to try. He was glad Jason picked up and, like the best friend that he was, shifted the focus off of Leo.

When they returned to the _Argo II_, Leo immediately went to the engine room, shutting himself inside. While fixing the engine, his mind, what a surprise, wandered. Leo's mind was now miles away. He kept thinking about how great he and Calypso worked together, how perfectly in-sync they were when making the navigation device, how awesome her kiss was, and how much he wanted—no, _needed_ to return to set her free.

Because he was oh, so hopeless…

Hopelessly in love with an immortal girl named Calypso.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Hope that turned out as great as it was in my head. That one was a little tougher to write for some reason. Oh well..._**


	9. Rose

**_Psh, this came out of nowhere. I thought I didn't have an actual V-Day fic in me, since it's one of my least favorite holidays, but NOPE._**

**_Decided to mix up the numbers, hope you'll forgive me. Obsession was supposed to be next, but since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd switch it with Roses. I've never done a Reyna POV before, so this should be interesting._**

**_I'm a fan of Leyna, so I'll be basing my interpretation of her off those awesome Leyna fics on the site. I never really got a chance to get into her character in BoO, but maybe that was because Nico and Leo took all my attention xD_**

**_I put in a secret shout-out to one of the series I like at the beginning. Can you guess what it is?_**

**_PS: You all fail miserably just as much as I do, because NO ONE has corrected me on a big mistake I made in the last chapter. I didn't see it until about a few days ago, and by then I was like, lol NOPE not gonna fix it._**

**_Cookies to whoever figures out what that mistake was :3_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>9: Rose<strong>

_Bold, Charming, and Can Handle a Death Glare_

Reyna sat outside a café in San Francisco, sipping calmly on her iced tea and reading a fantasy novel about a preserve of magical creatures. She checked her watch, trying not to groan at how her day was going.

She hated Valentine's Day. Okay, granted, it was a few days away, but every corner of San Fran was already anticipating the holiday. All the couples running around trying to make reservations for fancy restaurants, buying stuffed animals and chocolates to store for later, trying to set up dates for their friends…even in New Rome, things got crazy—mostly because the children of Venus wouldn't allow anyone to be without a partner on this _most sacred of days_.

The _only_ reason Reyna had gotten away this long was because she had been praetor and always had some sort of excuse to not participate.

But this year, she had retired to New Rome as a councilmember. This year, the 26-year-old was eligible for the children of Venus to set her up on a blind date.

She'd tried to avoid their attention. She really had. But because of a certain gods-damned son of Hephaestus, they turned their attention to her.

Leo Valdez, the 25-year-old fire user, had been visiting New Rome to fix Reyna's automaton dogs. He was the only one who could fix them without losing a limb. While in New Rome, the idiot had let it slip that Reyna was pretty much the only one of the big heroes that didn't have someone to cling to for the day of love. Word had spread fast, and Reyna woke that day to find many daughters of Venus chasing her down to probe her with 'dream boyfriend' questions.

Naturally, Reyna decided to spend the day in San Francisco. If she got into trouble, she'd defend herself or her dogs would come to her aid.

"Mind if I sit down?"

Reyna looked up to see a young man in a purple polo shirt and khaki pants standing across the table from her. He seemed like a common Southern California guy, with windswept blonde hair and sparkling brown eyes.

She glanced around and noticed no other tables were available, so she nodded. "Go ahead."

He sat down and smiled. "Thanks. I'm Vincent." He held out his hand.

Reyna shook it, giving his hand a firm squeeze. "Reyna."

When she released his hand, he gingerly shook it. "Strong grip you got there, Reyna," he said.

She didn't answer him, turning back to her book. She smirked at how the satyrs in the book acted much like the fauns in New Rome, trying to barter for things without giving up their riches.

Vincent sipped on a latte he'd ordered, not taking his brown eyes off of her. She tried to ignore how he sized her up, but for some reason couldn't.

"Did you want something?" she huffed, still not taking her eyes off the book.

"Your phone number?"

Okay, so he was _that_ kind of guy…

Reyna rolled her eyes. "I don't have a phone."

Vincent chuckled. "I don't quite believe that. _Everyone_ has a cellphone these days."

Reyna gave him a glare, determined to scare him off. "Not everyone."

Strangely, the glare didn't faze him. Vincent smirked and sipped on his latte. Reyna narrowed her eyes. Normal mortals usually didn't last long under her stare. Even demigods and legacies couldn't stay under it. Only monsters had the strength to stand under her gaze.

_Is this guy a monster?_ Reyna thought. _If he is, that's a good disguise._

Vincent tilted his head. "What's with the glare? Did I make you mad?"

_Yes._ "No. That's just my normal stare."

"Well it doesn't suit you," he remarked. "I bet you'd look cuter with a smile."

Reyna cocked an eyebrow. "If you're trying to flirt, it isn't working."

"I'm just trying to stir up a conversation." Vincent checked his watch. "I've still got a few minutes to spare before I go back into work."

Reyna put her book down, resigning herself to this fate. "And what is it you do, exactly?"

"I teach at CCSF," he said casually. "Theatre Arts professor."

Reyna hummed in response. "Interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"I would have taken you for some rich man that works or plays at some sort of golf course."

Vincent laughed. It felt infectious, and Reyna had to fight back laughing herself. "Is it the polo?" he asked. "Or my hair?"

"Perhaps both, but then again, I'm not really interested in you enough to care."

"Ouch!" Vincent put a hand over his heart. "That hurt, Reyna. You can be harsh."

"I get that a lot," she said, mirroring his casual tone from earlier.

He smiled. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "I have to go," he said. "But…if you wanna talk some more, here's my card."

Reyna took the card. It was a normal business card. On the front was a picture of a comedy and tragedy mask over a blooming rose. On the back, it said:

**_Professor Vincent Rose_**

**_City College of San Francisco Theatre & Arts Dept._**

**_Director, Choreographer, Acting Coach_**

**_Cell: (xxx) xxx-xxxx Work: (xxx) xxx-xxxx Home: (xxx) xxx-xxxx_**

Vincent had left by the time she looked up again. He was walking down the street, trying to hail a cab.

Reyna pocketed the card, paid for her tea, and left. Vincent was pretty brave for keeping himself steady under her glare. And she supposed he was pretty handsome, too. But, she shrugged it off.

_He's just a mortal man,_ she thought. _It's not like I'll see him again…_

* * *

><p>Of course, she'd been wrong. The day before Valentine's Day, she met up with Vincent Rose again.<p>

The Venus girls were getting more anxious. They tried cornering Reyna many times, so she decided to evade them in San Francisco. She didn't know where to go, so she decided to explore.

Eventually, she made it to the City College of San Francisco. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to look in on Vincent while he worked. It wasn't because she liked him or anything. She was just bored.

When she got to the theatre, she saw a bunch of college students on stage. Many of them were dressed in togas, some just casually. A few students were in the front rows, sewing some more costumes. Reyna spotted Vincent upstage, teaching the ones on stage some dance moves.

He was twirling, stepping, jumping and prancing around like he was drunk. "One, two, three," he called. "Step out the leg like this when you get there, okay Angela?"

One of the girls nodded.

Some students were laughing as Vincent strutted around. Reyna suppressed a smile watching him be an idiot. A few steps later, and the students had joined in, laughing and acting silly.

Vincent glanced over at Reyna seated in the very back, squinted, and smiled. "You guys keep practicing. I'll be right back."

He hopped off the stage and trotted up the stairs to meet Reyna. "I didn't think you'd actually come to see me."

"Neither did I," she replied coolly. "But I was bored."

He grinned. "Well, thank you for letting me see your beautiful face again."

Reyna glanced over at the college students. "What kind of play are you doing?"

"_A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_," he answered. "It's one of my favorites."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Why would you like that play?"

"Maybe I like Roman history and mythology," he said. "I always get inspiration for acting styles from ancient Roman theatre."

Reyna was surprised. "I never would have taken you for a Roman enthusiast."

"To be fair," Vincent said, "you barely know me."

"True."

"So…how about we get to know each other better? Say, dinner?"

Reyna gave him a suspicious look. "Aren't you moving a little fast?"

"Maybe, but you seem like that kinda girl who doesn't like to wait around."

Reyna actually allowed a smile. "Fine. I'll humor you. When and where for dinner?"

Vincent put on a thinking face. "I know a great Mexican place a few blocks from here. _Fiesta Del Fuego_. I know it isn't special, but it's all I can think of at the moment."

"That's fine," she said. "I don't mind Mexican. Tomorrow, then?"

He grinned. "Aw, a special date on Valentine's Day? Trying to be romantic?"

She frowned. "Ignore the date and just be there," she said, turning around to leave.

"Should I pick you up?" Vincent called, trying to follow.

"No," she said flatly. "I know where that place is. I'll meet you there at 7 tomorrow."

He smiled sweetly. "Okay. See you then."

She walked away, but not before hearing him whisper-exclaim, "YES!"

* * *

><p>On Valentine's Day, Audrey, a daughter of Venus, tapped her foot outside councilmember Reyna's house in New Rome. She'd been waiting there for hours, since 5 PM. It was now 10 PM. She'd been told by the other children of Venus not to leave until she delivered a message to the former praetor.<p>

Finally, Reyna came into view. She was dressed simply enough, in a nice red blouse and black pants. She had her hands behind her back, with a smile on her face.

Audrey intercepted her. "There you are! Where have you been?"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "In San Francisco."

"Why were you there?"

"Is that any of your business?" Reyna snapped. "What is it you want, anyway?"

Audrey cleared her throat. "Um, councilwoman, I'm here on behalf of my fellow Venus children. We may have failed to give you a chance at love this Valentine's Day, but just know we won't give in so easily. We want you to be happy with someone."

Reyna scowled. "I don't need you Venus children butting into my life. If I find a love, it'll be through my own doing, not yours. Please refrain from bothering me about this again."

As she entered her abode, Audrey called, "We won't give in, Reyna! You deserve to love! We'll make sure to find your true love, whoever he is!"

Reyna slammed the door in her face before Audrey could say any more. When she did, Reyna took a breath and smiled at what she had in her hands.

"They can run themselves ragged trying to find a man for me," she murmured to herself. "I don't think they'll find him in New Rome."

She crossed to the kitchen, taking out a vase and filling it with water. She placed the rose she had brought home into it and Vincent's business card onto the counter.

She smiled. Vincent was actually a nice guy. Sweet, charming, a fan of Roman mythology…and he could handle Reyna's glares, which was better than most men. He actually had the audacity to make her laugh, so that put him high on Reyna's Like List. They seemed to share many interests, too. Getting to know him had been a good idea, she realized.

He'd given her a rose at the end of the date. "Something to remember me by," he'd said before departing. They'd decided to have another shot at a date later that week at the theater to watch Kingsman. She'd protested at the idea of seeing Fifty Shades of Grey on Valentine's week. He agreed and they settled for the Secret Service movie instead.

Reyna traced her fingers around the rose's petals. "Maybe I could get Leo to make me a monster-free cellphone," she mused happily. "I think I might need to call someone soon…"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I have now claimed this ridiculousness in the name of REYCENT (or Vinna, not sure which I want to call the ship)_**

**_I feel silly for even writing this, but it happened and I can't do anything about it. I wanted Reyna to have some sort of love interest eventually and the final product came out to be Vincent._**

**_Yes, I totes put that _A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum_ in there. xD Fun Fact: I've never seen that play. I want to, though. I just thought it would be appropriate for Vincent to like a Roman play, especially when he falls for a Roman demigod. I'm so silly._**

**_Happy Singles Awareness Day, everyone._**

**_Or Valentine's Day, whatever._**


	10. Dream Catcher

_**Eh, not too fond of this one. I wanted to get past it, so that's why it's so short and bleh-like.**_

_**Also, who else could guess I was gonna do a Grace family thing with the Dream Catcher prompt? Probably everyone xD**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>10: Dream Catcher<strong>

_They Be Cool_

Mark Grace shook a colorfully-wrapped box excitedly. The six-year-old had opened three presents so far on this awesome Christmas Day—a new eagle t-shirt from his dad, Jason; a box set of Deltora Quest from his mother, Piper; and of course…a brand, spankin-new Nintendo 3DS made monster-free from Mr. Valdez. This next gift was from Mr. and Mrs. Zhang.

"Well, go on and open it," Jason prompted. "You've got a lot more presents from Mom and I after you open Frank and Hazel's."

"He's fine," Piper said. "There's no rush. It's Christmas."

Mark ripped up the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside was a cool remote control dragon with a pack of ten batteries.

Piper groaned. "That dragon's gonna keep us from sleeping, isn't it?"

Jason chuckled. "I'll call Frank and electrocute him over the phone, if you'd like."

"Please."

At that moment, a knock on their hotel room door sounded. To clarify, every year the Seven and their families switched between spending Christmas together in New Athens (or maybe somewhere special for vacation) and spending it with their respective families. This year, it was the latter. Annabeth and Percy would be spending Christmas with Sally and Paul (maybe Dr. Chase if he could spare the time to travel), Frank and Hazel would spend it in Canada at Frank's old estate (with or without his grandmother, they still would go to pay respect), Leo and Calypso would sometimes go to Houston to visit Leo's mother's grave, and Jason and Piper would come visit Hollywood to spend Christmas with Tristan McLean.

Speaking of whom, as soon as Jason answered the door, the super star from Hollywood stepped through the threshold, grinning from ear to ear and holding a few big presents in his hand.

"Grandpa!" Mark shouted, rushing over to the man and hugging his grandfather. That surprised the older man into dropping all the presents.

"Look how big you're getting!" Tristan cried, picking up the six-year-old and setting him down after a minute. He looked at Jason and grinned, his perfect white teeth shining. "What do you think, Jason? Lookin' more and more like his granddad every day."

Jason rolled his eyes. "He looks more like his mom to me."

"Where do you think his mom got her good looks from?"

"From Grandma," Mark said happily. "Mommy said so!"

Tristan frowned. "Okay, well, I can't argue that. Your grandma _was_ a real looker."

Piper came up and hugged her father happily. "Glad you could make it, Dad."

"I managed to talk my director into givin' me a few hours." He held up the boxes he'd dropped earlier. "I brought presents!"

Mark grabbed a few, not caring who they were meant for, and scuttled away to the lounge part of the hotel room. The adults moved behind him more slowly.

Soon enough, everyone was opening presents again. Mark had gotten a pair of roller skates, one of two presents from his grandfather. He was already tearing open the second gift.

Piper turned to Tristan. "Please tell me it's not something loud and obnoxious, Dad."

Tristan winked. "I got him something my dad gave me when I was his age."

"An Indian headdress and handmade lanyards?"

"You're so funny, Pipes."

"What is this?" Mark asked, holding up a circle with webbed string in the middle, decorated with beads and feathers.

"That," Tristan explained, "is a dream catcher."

Mark shook it around. "What's it do?"

Piper giggled. "It catches bad dreams, Mark. You hang it over your head when you go to bed and the bad dreams get caught in it."

"Won't that make them stay with me?"

Tristan chuckled. "Smart boy," he said. "Y'know, there's an old Indian legend your great grandpa told me about these dream catchers. There was a man—a leader of a tribe—who went up a mountain on a spiritual journey."

"Which mountain?" Mark asked.

"Doesn't matter. On that mountain, he met Iktomi, a wise trickster in the form of a spider. The trickster wove a web in a circle and instructed the man to weave similar items for his people while teaching them to do the same. Iktomi said that both light and dark forces can enter people's dreams. With a dream catcher, the light forces would be caught, allowing the dark ones to slip away and burn up. Without the light, the dark would simply die."

"Cool," Mark said.

"Very," the star agreed. "So, Iktomi said that by teaching his people how to make dream catchers, the man would be allowing them to achieve bright futures. The dream catchers would capture all the good dreams that the winds of the night blew their way."

"Why would a trickster give the chief something good like that?" Jason asked.

Tristan shrugged. "You ever meet Iktomi, why don't you ask him? Maybe he asked for something in return and the story teller didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Piper cleared her throat. "Pardon me, Dad, but there's something about that story I don't get."

"What?"

"That's a Lakota legend," Piper clarified. "We're Cherokee."

Tristan grinned. "I like to think their version is cooler. It was either that or the Ojibwe version of an old woman with a spider over her bed weaving every night. The dream catcher came from them but the Lakota version's cooler. I think it's the same as the Cherokee version, anyway, isn't it?"

She shrugged. "Whatever."

Tristan looked at Mark. "It's still cool, though, isn't it, Sora?"

Mark grinned. "Totally! Can I go put it above my bed now, Mom?"

Piper nodded. "Go ahead. What do we say to Grandpa?"

Mark ran over and hugged his grandfather. "Thanks, Grandpa!"

That night, and every night since for years, Mark had good dreams. It was only when he forgot to put the catcher in the Aphrodite Cabin when he was twelve when he _conveniently_ started having the stupid demigod/legacy dreams.

To Mark, it only confirmed the magical-ness of his grandfather's gift (even if he'd bought it at a gift shop somewhere) and made his Cherokee heritage cooler.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Aaaand I gave up on that ending. Enjoy that for now. I've got something better for the next one. I promise._**

**_Dream catchers are awesome, okay? I had one for a long time until around high school...or maybe it was when I moved into a new room in the house...hard to say._**


	11. Blue

_**Apparently I can't make Obsession work at the moment. This chapter started out that way, but then I thought, 'eh, Blue works better' so viola!**_

_**Obsession is now switched with Blue, so you won't be seeing the Obsession prompt for a while.**_

_**Anywho, this little bugger takes place between TLH and MoA.**_

_**I've never done a Sally thing, and I figured you guys would want her in here eventually. So, here you go!**_

_**Also, I hope you enjoy what I did with her and Paul.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>11: Blue<strong>

_A Traditional Obsession for a Great Family_

Leo didn't know what to make of the Jackson-Blofis household. He didn't even know why he decided to come to this place.

Then he looked at Annabeth and remembered how she'd threatened him. It was mid-March, and Leo was over halfway done with the _Argo II_. He spent every waking hour in Bunker Nine, doing nearly everything himself. He'd skipped many meals, lost a lot of sleep, and avoided everyone as much as he could. Apparently that was bad for his health, because one moment he was hammering away at the joints that attached Festus to the bow, the next he was waking up with an Apollo camper leaning over him with nectar and ambrosia.

Chiron had ordered Leo be taken away from the Bunker for a few days. Leo had argued that so much needed to be done, but the Hephaestus cabin personally kicked him out the one time he tried to go back inside.

So, to get him away for a night, Annabeth got a hold of Sally Jackson, the mother of the famous Percy Jackson. The daughter of Athena had arranged for Leo to join her at the Jackson-Blofis place for a dinner. Percy's Cyclops brother, Tyson, would be there, too.

So, here he was, scuffling his feet awkwardly as Sally greeted Annabeth and Tyson with lots of hugs. Paul, Percy's step-father, clapped Tyson on the back, then winced when the Cyclops clapped him back with double the strength.

Then, the two mortals locked onto Leo.

Sally stepped forward. Leo noticed her extended stomach and assumed she must be a few months pregnant—at least five. Sally smiled and said, "You must be Leo. Annabeth said you were joining us, tonight."

"She didn't really give me a choice," he muttered.

Sally rolled her eyes. "She also told me _why_ you were coming. You're quite the workaholic, huh?"

Leo smiled sheepishly. "Just doing what I do best."

Paul stepped forward and shook Leo's hand. "You don't need to be cryptic, son. We know what you're doing. I'm impressed, honestly, on how you can build that ship so quickly."

Tyson grinned. "Leo is strong!"

Annabeth nodded. "But he's as dumb as Percy when it comes to his health. I figured this would be a great opportunity for him to eat and socialize."

Sally nodded and gestured to the dining room. "Well, he's come to the right place. Why don't we go ahead and sit down?"

Paul put his arm around Leo's shoulder and led him over to the dining table, sitting him down across from Sally and in between Tyson and Annabeth. Once Leo was settled in, Paul left to go get a few plates and pots. Annabeth and Tyson helped him.

Leo looked at Sally. "So…how far along?" he asked. "Unless you're not…um…"

Sally smiled. "Five months," she said. "It's going to be a boy. We haven't decided on a name yet, though."

"Oh, well, congrats."

"Thank you. So, tell me, Leo—how much have you eaten in the past few weeks?"

Leo shifted uncomfortably. "Not much. I, uh, can handle not eating for a few days. In the Bunker I had a cooler full of bottled water, so I knew enough to stay hydrated."

Sally gave him a long look. "Annabeth told me you're a foster kid."

"Was," Leo corrected. "After this whole Gaea ordeal, I plan to stay at camp year-round until I'm eighteen. I've been through enough fake homes, so I don't want the system to snare me again."

"And I suppose you say you've handled not eating for long periods of time because you've been on the run."

"How'd you guess?"

She smiled. "_Someone_ had to look after Percy before he came to camp. He needed a parent who could read people and know what their business was. My hope was that it would rub off and, thankfully, it did—at least when it came to friends and girlfriends."

Leo grinned. "Well, you're pretty good, ma'am."

"You can call me Sally," she said.

Paul came into the dining room holding a big plate full of steaks. Annabeth carried a big salad bowl and a plate of bread. Tyson held some mashed potatoes and green beans.

"That's a lot of food," Leo said.

Annabeth leaned down and whispered, "It's a lot because there's a lot of us and…it's a special occasion."

Once everyone was settled, Leo grabbed a steak and some potatoes and green beans. Tyson got three steaks and a large serving of vegetables. Everyone else had one steak and a bit of salad, potatoes and green beans.

They had some casual small-talk while they ate. Leo learned a lot about Sally and Paul, and was beginning to feel comfortable in the family environment. The two seemed really nice and accepting. Annabeth had told them about his past, but even with the knowledge of his record, they didn't treat him like he was different. They didn't even pry about his mother's death and certainly didn't look at him with pity every time he mentioned his past. For the first time in a long time, Leo felt like he belonged. He felt secured and safe, just like he had back when he was with his mother.

After everyone finished their dinner, Paul got up and went to the kitchen. He came back a few moments later carrying a plate of blue cookies, a tray of blue cupcakes, and a little bag hanging off his arm. When he set the everything down, Paul took a blue mini cake out of the bag, placed a candle on top and smiled.

Leo knew a cue when he saw one. He let his finger catch fire and lit the candle. Once that was done, he, Paul, Annabeth, and Tyson started singing _Happy Birthday_ to Sally.

Sally blew out the candle when the song was over and smiled at everyone.

Leo smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I didn't get you a present," he said. "I didn't know it was your birthday."

"To be fair," Annabeth said, "you didn't even know her a few hours ago."

Sally nodded. "It's all right, Leo. I told Paul, Annabeth, and Tyson not to get me anything. I wouldn't have expected anything but your company anyway." She held out a blue cupcake. "Here. I can't eat all these by myself."

Leo took a cupcake and a piece of the blue cake. He examined both and asked, "Why blue?"

"It's something Percy and I would do when he was younger. My ex said there was no such thing as blue food, so I would go out of my way to prove him wrong."

"And you still do it?" Leo asked.

Tyson shoveled a bunch of blue cookies in his mouth. "Blue is good," he said. "Percy's favorite color is blue."

"It's a tradition for us now," Paul said. "To have blue food for special occasions. We've got some blue candy lying around for emergencies, too."

Leo chuckled. "Tradition? Sounds more like an obsession."

Sally shrugged. "Call it what you like. Blue is a part of our family as much as fire is a part of you."

"Think of it this way," Annabeth said. "They _obsess_ over blue food the same way you _obsess_ over tacos or corny jokes."

The whole table laughed, including Leo.

* * *

><p>It was well past ten o'clock when the demigods and Tyson heard Argus honking outside the apartment building, ready to take them back to camp.<p>

Leo yawned as everyone said goodbye to the adults. He suggested they name the kid Leo when he was born, and Sally laughed, saying she'd keep that in mind.

As Annabeth and Tyson got into the van Argus was driving, Sally pulled Leo aside.

"You're a sweet kid, Leo," Sally said with a smile. "I want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to—someone who can help you when you're feeling down—I'll be here. Also, I talked it over with Paul. If you decide to not stay year-round after this whole ordeal…we'd be willing to take you in."

Leo's heart skipped a beat when he registered what she said. "You mean…you'd adopt me? What about Percy?"

"You and Percy are so much alike," Sally assured him. "And I'm sure, when he comes home, he'd love a brother around _his_ age, not just one that will be seventeen years younger than him."

Leo didn't know what to say. His lower lip trembled. He'd never met anybody as nice as Sally and Paul—not since his mother died. They knew of his fire powers. They knew he was a little crazier than the normal kid. They knew he would attract monsters, just like Percy would.

And they were still willing to take him in. They didn't judge. They didn't pity. They understood him, which made him like them so much more than the six foster homes he'd been in.

He hugged Sally, a few tears running down his face. "I'll _definitely_ think about it," he promised, his voice shaking. "When I'm done with the ship and beat Gaea in the face, I'll come back for some more of that awesome blue food."

When they broke apart, Leo was surprised to see Paul standing there. He handed the son of Hephaestus a bag filled with blue M&Ms, jelly beans, and gummy bears.

"Good luck, Leo," he said. "And think about our offer. You're a good kid, and we think you deserve a nice family besides your siblings. There's always room in our home for one more."

Leo nodded and hugged Paul, too. "I'd like that," he mumbled through the older man's shoulder. "Thank you so much."

He said goodbye to them and entered the van. As Argus drove away, Leo kept waving to the parents of Percy Jackson.

"Hey Annabeth," he said once they had turned on to a new street. "Do you think Percy and me would get along?"

"Percy and I," she corrected. "And…unfortunately, yes I do think you'd get along. The two of you together would ensure the world's demise."

"Why's that?"

Annabeth smiled at him. "If you two were brothers, you would be as inseparable and unstoppable as the Stolls. No one would be safe."

Leo grinned and sat back, gazing at his bag of blue candies.

"Why do you ask?" Annabeth asked.

Leo popped a couple blue gummy bears in his mouth. "No reason," he said with his mouth full. "Just curious."

As they drove through the night, Leo's thoughts kept wandering back to Percy's parents. _I think I could get used to the color blue_, he thought.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Yay! Happy feelings all around :D_**

**_Another One-Shot will probably feature Percy returning after the war. I've already decided that Sally will give birth while the quest is going on, so he'll come back to a new brother. And Sally and Paul will tell him of their plan to adopt Leo had he survived._**

**_Percy and Leo as brothers would be the best thing in the world. After their friendship blossomed in BoO (y'know, _after_ they settled their difference over Calypso) they just clicked._**

**_I'm happy with this. Had Leo survived, or if my future fics had Leo return with Calypso instead of disappearing off the map for years, I like to think Leo would have accepted Sally and Paul's offer. They would have made a great family, just as long as Leo didn't accidentally blow up the kitchen lol_**


	12. Clouds

_**Short. I care not.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

><p><strong>12: Clouds<strong>

_Let the Imagination Roam Free_

After five and a half years, Leo Valdez knew the signs of when his twins were upset. Tulio got extra quiet and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes; Espie would pout or set something on fire; Tulio teleported randomly and hid in corners.

The biggest clue that Espie was upset today?

She was crying the moment she entered the house.

Leo heard her wailing while he was cooking dinner. Being the overprotective father he was, Leo immediately assumed she'd been hurt by someone and wanted nothing more than to punch that someone in the face.

He rushed into the living room. Espie was on the couch, bawling. A crumpled piece of paper was overturned on the floor in front of the couch. Tulio was next to his sister, ready for Operation: Hug.

Leo crouched down beside her and cooed, "Baby. _Mija_, what's wrong?"

Espie wailed louder and latched on to his neck. Leo lifted her up and held her as she cried into his shoulder. He knew he had to be patient. When Espie got upset, he couldn't rush her into explaining why. It only upset her more.

Eventually, Calypso joined them. Leo signaled with his eyes for her to take Tulio out before he started sympathy crying. His emotion-sensing would be hitting him with all kinds of sadness right now, so Leo was impressed he was holding it together so well.

When they were left alone, Leo kissed the side of Espie's head. "It's okay," he whispered. "Whatever it is, I know it wasn't good. But you're okay now. _Papi_'s got you."

After a few minutes of sobbing, Espie finally looked him in the eye. Leo smiled. "There's my baby girl. Now…wanna tell me what happened? Did someone make fun of you? Did they bully you?"

His daughter shook her head. "It was…Mrs. Gordon," she choked. "We had a…a…coloring activity in art today."

"I bet you colored the best picture," Leo said with a grin.

Espie looked extremely heartbroken. "I had to color a picture of cloud shapes." She sniffled. "I thought it was good but…Mrs. Gordon…"

"What happened?"

Espie pointed to the crumpled paper on the floor. With the demititan still in his hands, Leo bent down and picked up the paper. It was a picture of a few cloud shapes—a kitty, a dolphin, a dragon. All of the clouds were a bright shade of orange against a blue sky.

On the top right-hand corner was a note. _Clouds aren't orange. F._

Leo frowned. Clouds weren't orange? Since when did it matter what color clouds were? Leo thought the picture had imagination! Who wants to color clouds white? Boring!

Leo looked at Espie and kissed her on the forehead. "It's a beautiful picture, _mija_. I'm gonna rip the note part up and then I'm gonna hang your pretty clouds up on the fridge. And then tomorrow, I'm gonna have a talk with Mrs. Gordon, okay?"

"'Kay," she muttered.

Leo smiled. "Don't worry. _Papi_ will fix this. I got a bone to pick with your teacher, now."

* * *

><p>The next day, Leo walked Espie to school. He didn't really know Mrs. Felicia Gordon that well. She was one of the older demigods (a daughter of Apollo, he thought) that had moved into New Athens a while after it was built. She had long been out of camp—since before Percy Jackson had first shown up.<p>

Leo held Espie's hand in his left hand, her pretty cloud picture and a photo in his right. He walked up to the principal's office and requested to talk to Mrs. Gordon. They called her over the intercom and she appeared in the office minutes later.

Leo shoved the picture into her hands. "Seriously?" he spat. "You hurt Espie's feelings!"

Felicia Gordon sniffed. "She didn't follow the assignment. I told them to color them as realistic as they could. No purple monkeys, no blue suns, and no orange clouds."

Leo rolled his eyes. "Clouds can totally be orange!"

"Oh really."

"Yes really. Here." He held up the photo. It was a photograph of the finished _Argo II_. Specifically it was a picture of Festus at the bow. The sun was setting, so the sky looked ablaze with fire. Which meant the clouds behind Festus looked _orange_.

Mrs. Gordon scowled. "That is a trick of the light. Clouds would never be orange for real."

Leo shrugged. "The sky isn't technically blue. It's just the color we see when the sun's rays hits the atmosphere. For all we know, it could be purple and the clouds might actually be orange. Maybe in Espie's picture there's a fire nearby that's turning the clouds orange."

"You're being ridiculous," she growled.

"I'm making a point," he spat. "Obviously my daughter has more imagination than you do. If she wants the clouds to be orange, let them be orange. If she wants to make blue grass, let her. Let her imagination run wild!"

Mrs. Gordon _harrumphed_ and stalked out of the office. Leo figured she didn't like it when people told her she was wrong—especially a lowly mechanic such as himself.

He bent down and kissed Espie. "Sweetie," he said softly. "Don't let her get to you. So what if she doesn't believe clouds can be orange? You've seen them that color, and so have I. I'm gonna put this on the fridge, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now, just remember—this is your art, Espie. Your style. Don't let others tell you it's bad. Take that frustration you felt yesterday and draw something from it. Paint it out."

Espie sniffled. "What if Mrs. Gordon says I can't draw good?"

Leo scowled. "Is she the one drawing for you?"

"No."

"Then it's none of her business. Keep drawing sweetie." He kissed her curls. "With each drawing, you'll get better, no matter what Mrs. Gordon says."

Espie beamed. "I'll get better?"

"Without a doubt."

She grinned and hugged him. "Thanks, _Papi_!" Espie ran off after a few seconds.

Leo smiled.

That same day, Espie came home with a sticky note meant for her father. Leo took it and read the two words that were written on it in purple pen.

_Failure revoked._

He grinned and ruffled Espie's black curls. "Never let go of that imagination, _mija_," he said.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: This is a thing. I had a friend in kindergarten who didn't get a good grade on a coloring assignment because she colored purple clouds. She got the grade to go up when her parents fought it out with the dumb teacher, saying clouds could be purple right after sunset. Sometimes people just don't think that far..._**

**_Imagination. Use it. That is the lesson._**


End file.
